A/N: I know it has been a month but hey!
My Beta was busy with her exams! I had to give her some space.
Plus, I wasn't writing this chapter. I preferred fangirling about 'Murder In The First' and how sexy Tom Felton looks in it! I mean like really.
Anyway, I must thank WarthogHerme for giving me 21 reviews and unlocking this chapter!
Harry woke up in an unfamiliar place in an unfamiliar bed as the sunlight blinded him to view the place where his body felt well rested. His blurry eyes tried to focus on the body sleeping soundlessly next to him, when he felt his hand being clasped tightly with another.
Harry's eyes opened slowly to find Hermione sleeping on her front with her pouted lips slightly parted. Her left hand tightly held Harry's right, making no signs of loosening. Last night's memories came back flashing into his mind, when Harry did nothing but smile at the woman sleeping next to him. Last night, neither of them had realized how the time flew, as they kept holding each other in a comfortable silence. Hermione had then requested him to stay for the night, right next to her and hold her hand.
Harry never wanted this moment to end. He had always wanted to start his day with waking up to Hermione sleeping next to him. He wanted to do nothing but to kiss her senseless whilst waking her up and wanted to make love to her every single day of their existence. However, this was enough for a day's meal.
Bringing their entwined hands to his mouth, Harry placed a kiss on Hermione's hand, to which she reacted by shifting closer to him. Placing a loving peck on her forehead, and then her lips, Harry murmured, "All the best. If anything happens, just remember that I love you and always have."
Hermione hummed slightly, oblivious to Harry's words, when her grasp loosened on his hand. Placing a last kiss on Hermione's lips, Harry unwillingly left the bed and put on his shoes. Grabbing his coat from the hanger, he glanced for the last time at his sleeping beauty and left her alone in her peaceful dream land.
"Ugh, mornings." Hermione groaned in annoyance when her brown eyes met the piercing sun rays of a bright summer morning. Suddenly, a familiar scent of musk caught her attention. Her eyes then opened wide to find herself all alone in her bed. The right side looked as if someone had slept in and that brought a smile on her face.
"Harry?" Hermione called out, sitting on the bed. "Harry, are you there?"
To her disappointment she got no answer. Untangling herself from the sheets, Hermione frowned and got on her feet.
"Harry?" She called out again, waiting for Harry to respond. The only answer she got was that Harry had left her alone, without any note and left.
Sighing, Hermione made her way towards the kitchen to find her favorite French Omelette waiting for her on the kitchen island along with a glass of orange juice.
He remembers my favorite breakfast, Hermione thought, before running back to her bathroom and brushing her teeth. The breakfast seemed to be warm, which meant Harry had left probably a few minutes ago.
Like a lady, Hermione moved back towards the kitchen and sat in front of her breakfast, when she found a note sticking out from under the plate.
I just had to return your favor. You know, for the the tea and- well, whatever followed (Hermione blushed). Anyway, I wish you luck for today's hearing and deeply hope that you are proved to be innocent so that I could fulfill the promise I made to you last night.
Yours Harry
My Harry, Hermione smiled at her thought and took a small bite of her breakfast. As much as her breakfast proved to be delicious, the edges of her mouth tugged down into a frown at the thought of the judge's decision which had to be made today. Hermione's heart started to panic when her eyes glanced at the clock.
"It's seven thirty in the morning," she muttered to herself. "He must be coming here any moment-" her words were interrupted by the doorbell, bringing Hermione to impatiently rush towards the door.
"I was just wondering where you were." Hermione told her companion with a smile as he moved in and placed a kiss on her cheek.
"It's almost time for your hearing love. Being your lawyer and your friend, it's my duty to be with my client." The man replied.
Hermione chuckled as she closed the door and said "You're right Draco. I really want you to be with me right now."
"I am here and will always be." Draco said. "I was there for you when you used to come over crying. I used to be there when you used to cry in his remembrance. I used to hold you in my arms and let you weep."
Hermione gave him a small smile as he stroked her cheek and continued.
"You need me the most right now and I need to save your life. Hermione, I have no idea how you're involved in this murder as the prime suspect because you wouldn't even hurt a fly-"
That's what Harry said, Hermione thought, remembering her lover's words spoken while they lay in bed.
"I have a strong feeling that you're being framed." Draco finished. "Do you have any idea who could frame you for your father-in-law's murder?"
Hermione merely looked into her friend's steel grey eyes and shrugged with a look of obliviousness on her face.
"I have no idea." Was the only phrase which left her mouth as an inaudible whisper.
Harry quietly entered his house and tiptoed across the gallery. The last thing he wanted was Ellie to be awake at almost seven thirty in the morning and question him about his last night's whereabouts. To Harry's annoyance, Elena Potter used to remind her of their mother when he used to sneak in at midnight after spending his daily hours with Hermione.
Let's hope history doesn't repeat itself, Harry thought, crossing his fingers and slowly making his way into the kitchen when-
"Sir Potter, may I know where you were last night?"
Harry cringed at his sister's stern tone and turned around to find an annoyed Elena standing with her hands on her hips.
"And history repeats itself." Harry muttered to himself as his sister narrowed her eyes at him.
"What was that?" Elena asked sheepishly. Before Harry could answer, she cut him off with another question, "Care to answer both the questions, Sir Potter?"
"Answering the second question is irrelevant," Harry said smoothly, "As for the first one, you know where I was last night."
"With Hermione?"
Harry merely nodded and gave her a smile. "I still love her Ellie," Harry confessed, "But, today-"
"Harry, you still need to fight against her," Elena said as she slowly walked towards her brother. "Everything's fair in love and war."
"I know." Her brother murmured. "I have to fight against the girl I love," he sighed. "Ellie, we kissed last night-"
"You what?!" Elena screeched in horror. "How could-"
"And she kissed me back." Harry further said, ignoring his sister's outburst. "Right now, I wish that I had never left her on her own. We could've-"
"Harry!" Elena shook her brother by the shoulder and broke his blabbering. "Stop dwelling on whatever happened in the past. Think about Hermione being proved innocent and being with you for the rest of your life!"
Listen to your sister for once! His inner voice said. You know she's right! Be positive.
He owed Elena's words for confidence and faith.
Harry glanced at the huge grandfather clock next to the judge's seat- it was almost eleven thirty. He could hear the murmurs of the audience behind him. Next to him on the left sat Ron, sorting out files in the last minute.
While the empty seats on his opponent's side on the right was vacant. Hermione hadn't yet made her appearance with her lawyer.
To Harry's dismay, her lawyer happened to be Draco Malfoy. All he remembered him was as an albino looking kid with shaggy blonde hair and lean frame. As close as Hermione was to Draco, Harry had never bothered to lend a hand of friendship towards the blonde. Sometimes, Hermione's closeness to Draco got Harry to bubble with jealousy.
"Harry, they're here!" Ron whispered into Harry's ear, making his head turn towards the entrance of the courtroom.
First entered Draco, clad in black robes and a suitcase in his left hand, while in the right was clutched a lawyer's wig. He gave Harry and Ron a curt nod and took his seat on Harry's right.
Then entered his beauty, dressed smartly in a knee length black pencil skirt, a white Oxford shirt topped with a black blazer and black kitten heels that clicked on the floor as she walked. Her short chocolate curls bounced against her shoulder as she sat next to Draco with an unreadable expression on her face. Her eyes then met Harry's and gave him a courteous nod.
Harry returned a small smile, his eyes assuring her that she would be alright. His heart melted as her cheeks tinged pink and she withdrew her eyes away from him.
That woman sitting across him was a true beauty.
A true beauty with a heart of gold, which Harry had been a part of and still was.
"Harry," Ron's voice broke him off from reverie. "The judge is here."
Harry merely cleared his throat and looked towards the judge's throne to find a tall, well built man taking his seat; Kingsley Shacklebot, the head judge of the highest decree in the whole of England. Harry had only seen him whenever the cases of accusations were of serious and important form. His beady black eyes looked at the audience as he gave them a nod and then motioned Harry to start the session.
Clearing his throat, Harry got on his feet and looked at Kingsley. "Good morning my lord," he started with a brief greeting. "I'm sure you're aware why we all are present here today."
"Almost two months ago, our dear Prime Minister had unfortunately been murdered," Harry continued, facing the audience and then back at the judge. " From mine and my colleague, Detective Ronald Weasley's investigation, we learned that he died from a high dosage intake of morphine. At the same time, we found his vein slit and his heart stabbed with a knife."
"After weeks of investigation, we came to a conclusion that our dear minister had been someone's enemy," Harry concluded. "Or why else would he have been murdered so brutally? With that, we came down to four suspects. And today, we all are here to learn the fate of the prime suspect of this case- Hermione Granger."
Harry stopped and looked at the brunette who had her eyes on the ground. It killed him to go against her than to comfort her as he further spoke in an accusing tone.
"Miss Granger here, was apparently married to Jeremy Walsh, Gregory Walsh's son," Harry said, earning a stream of murmurs from the audience. "And yes, she kept it a secret from all of us because Miss Granger was getting enough of attention and didn't want to increase the number of spotlights she was in."
"Almost three months ago, she and Mister Walsh got a divorce because nothing was working out between the two of them. Their father in law, however, wanted them to remain happily wedded and was expecting them to hand him an heir. He even blamed Miss Granger here for her infertility-"
"Excuse me my lord," Draco cut him off and stood on his feet. "With the story Sir Potter is telling us, it seems that he's trying to prove my client innocent." He smirked and looked at Harry. "If you know that Miss Granger isn't guilty, then why did you end all of us in a hearing?"
"I was coming to that Mister Malfoy." Harry said curtly and then continued his story. "As innocent as this fact looks, it isn't. We found Miss Granger's fingerprints on the knife with which Gregory Walsh was stabbed-"
"Objection my lord!" Draco broke him off again, "Mister Potter earlier mentioned that Gregory Walsh died with overdose of morphine. Then how could he die when Miss Granger never stabbed him?"
"How do you know that she never stabbed him?" Harry asked incredulously, pointing an accusing finger at Hermione. "Do you have any evidences in her favor!?"
"Of course Sir Potter," Draco growled. "I had gone back with her the other night," He said fiercely and looked back at Kingsley. "Miss Granger went in a disguise while I went along with her. Both of us had seen Gregory Walsh stabbed on the chest and I had asked her to inform Mister Potter about the murder. I'm sure our honored detective hadn't been doing a proper investigation.
How dare he! Harry thought, closing his mouth and stood with a stony look on his face. Why didn't Hermione tell him that Draco was with her the other night?
She was probably trying to protect Malfoy, he thought as jealousy seeped into his mind.
"I respect Sir Potter's words and explanations your honor," Draco continued calmly. "We are even aware that my client's fingerprints were found on the knife. That was because she used the very same knife while having her snack with Mister Walsh and his son. I have even confirmed it with Jeremy Walsh. Maybe someone is trying to frame Miss Granger," he paused and looked at Harry. "Maybe all of us are aware of that."
You know he's right, Harry's mind screamed.
Kingsley looked from a smug Draco to a dumbfounded Harry and then at a very quiet Hermione, clearing his throat, he asked, "Miss Granger, do you have any words of defense for yourself?"
Hermione merely looked at the judge, knowing everyone present in the court had their eyes on her. "No your honor. Whatsoever had to be said is said. I would just like to say that I would never would've even think of hurting a fly than rather to murder a huge personality."
Kingsley smirked while Harry and Draco hid their smiles with a straight face. The courtroom tuned into complete silence while Harry and Draco sat back on their places.
"Good job Draco," Hermione whispered into her friend's ear. "You were truly amazing."
Her friend merely took her hand under the table and gave it a squeeze. Their hands remained entwined when Hermione found Harry catching their moment and glared at their holding hands.
After a long moment of silence, Kingsley cleared his throat and started to speak his words of judgment which everyone had been waiting for.
"After the facts, evidences and stories I've learned of today, I've come to a decision." He said. "I agree with Mister Malfoy here that Miss Granger is being framed for this murder because of her relations with Gregory Walsh. So I've come to a decision as I announce Miss Hermione Granger as innocent and cleared of all charges while Sir Potter and his team can continue the investigation more carefully." He gave Harry a look. "The court is adjourned."
Hermione gave out a huge sigh of relief when she felt being held close to a warm body. She hugged that body closer as tears started to roll down her face.
"You're safe Minnie," Draco murmured into her ear. "After all the trials you had to face, you're safe."
Hermione smiled into his shoulder and finally broke the embrace, feeling Harry's emerald eyes on her behind her head.
Before she could look at him, Kingsley walked over to her and stuck out his hand, which Hermione happily took and shook it firmly.
"I'm sorry Mister Shacklebolt, I-"
"You have all rights to cry Miss Granger," Kingsley said smiling. "You've just saved yourself from a death sentence. It's okay to show your emotions."
Hermione blushed as Kingsley shook his hand with Draco. "Congratulations Mister Malfoy on winning your second case."
"Thank you sir," Draco said politely. "I could do anything for Hermione. She's a dear friend of mine."
"I know," The older man smiled. "Anyway, I must leave. It seems that Sir Potter and Mister Weasley want to congratulate you both."
Hermione caught Harry's eye as he walked over to their seat. He gave her a huge smile which brought her to smile brightly at him.
"Good day to you two." Kingsley smiled at them and left as Harry and Ron stepped forward. Hermione could feel her stomach doing somersaults as Harry took her hand and shook it formally.
"Congratulations Miss Granger," he said with a smile, his hand never leaving hers. "For the first time in history, I got the wrong suspect."
Hermione chuckled as she felt Harry squeezing her hand slightly before his left it. "It's okay Sir Potter. We all make mistakes. At least they teach us to be careful of our wrongdoings and start afresh."
Harry took in her meaning and smiled as he then shook Draco's hand. "And you Malfoy, get on my nerves sometimes." He said playfully, "Did I mention that the wig looks nice on you?"
"Shut up Potter I know you don't like me," Draco chuckled at their informal conversation in court. "But that doesn't mean that you make fun of my profession."
"Alright gentlemen, I'm sure you're annoying the lovely lady here," Ron cut them off, smiling at Hermione. "Anyway, now that everything is settled, its Luna's birthday this Friday and I would like you and Draco to join us for dinner."
"I'm sorry mate but I have to return to Wiltshire. My mother has called me for a family dinner with my fiancée." Draco said apologetically with a shrug.
"However I assure you I'll be there." Hermione smiled at Ron. "But don't tell this to Luna. I want it to be a surprise for her."
"Oh sure, I won't." Ron said.
"Do you mind if I escort you for the dinner?"
Three pairs of eyes darted towards Harry, who had a dimples smile on his face. However, Hermione wasn't expecting Harry to be so forward after the hearing.
But he kissed me last night, she reminded herself. Harry wants to make it up to you, he wants to be with you ...
"If you don't mind." The meek reply Harry received got his mind to furiously plan the night he'd be courting her.
Don't be too forward Potter!, his mind screamed. Just because she's proved innocent doesn't mean that you become an opportunist and take it fast.
Now all Harry and Hermione knew that their relation was about to go slow.
Really slow.
Just like the last time.
Until their hearts won each other's all over again.
A/N: Lame ending wasn't it? To be honest, I suck at writing the hearing scenes. So if anyone interested for reframing it for me can drop a PM. I would've asked my beta and friend Fiction Recipe to do so but she has a flight to catch for Borneo.
Anyway, I am intending to bring about some HHr romance from the next chapter, while Harry still works on the case. Since Hermione is no more the prime suspect, who do you think it is- Jeremy, Sheila or Aaron?
Please review or PM about my progress as Reviews=Motivation (Sounds familiar? ;))